


Wishing on a Star

by Takara_Phoenix



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Anal, Explicit Sexual Content, Furry, M/M, Pooka Jack Frost, Shounen-ai, Slash, Xeno
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-24
Updated: 2014-06-24
Packaged: 2018-02-06 01:17:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1839121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Takara_Phoenix/pseuds/Takara_Phoenix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tooth meets up with some spirit friends again, now that Pitch has been taken down and everything he had destroyed is rebuild again.<br/>Now, she wants to help her friend Jack, who is in love with Bunny but doesn't know how to deal. One wish on a wishing star may solve all of Jack's (and Bunny's) problems though. Thanks to Tooth's friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Tea Party at the Wishing Star's

Title: Wishing on a Star – The Snowy White Pooka

Fandom: Rise of the Guardians

RotG Disclaimer : All rights concerning the movie reserved to DreamWorks. The book said movie is based of though is property of William Joyce. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Warnings: shounen-ai, xeno/furry, boy-turned-giant-alien-bunny, explicit intercourse, anal, hetero

Main Pairing: BunnyFrost

Side Pairings: Jamie/Cupcake, Valentine/Hope

Rise of the Guardians Characters: Jackson Overland Frost, E. Aster Bunnymund, Nicholas Saint North, Toothiana, Sanderson ManSnoozie, Sophie Bennett, Jamie Bennett, Cadence 'Cupcake' Miller, Pippa Morgan, Monty Jones, Caleb Jenkins, Claude Jenkins

Own Characters : Hope (Spirit of Wishing Stars), Valentine (Spirit of Love), Independence (Spirit of America), Unity (Spirit of Germany), Eve Hallows (Spirit of Halloween)

Summary: Jack finds himself very much in love with a certain Easter Bunny, but he feels as if he – a mere human – wouldn't be good enough for the Pooka. How are the odds that Aster finds himself in the same predicament. Unbeknownst to each other, they both wish on a star. The Wishing Star feels obliged to help the two Guardians out. The only question now is; How will the five Guardians deal with having a hyperactive, snow-controlling Pooka hopping around...?

 

**Wishing on a Star**

_ The Snowy White Pooka _

 

Prologue: Tea Party at the Wishing Star's

 

Tooth was delighted.

It had been years, certainly, since he had last spend some quality-time with her female friends. Oh, of course she loved her mini fairies beyond everything and she valued the other guardians like her own family. But it was something else entirely to just sit down with some level-headed ladies instead of listening to the playful banter/suppressed sexual tension between Bunny and Jack, the ever-lasting quarreling if Christmas was better than Easter between North and Bunny and the overall situation that always arose when the four boys were gathered.

Sighing slightly, she ran a hand through her feathers. She completely understood why Bunny liked Jack. The boy had gorgeous teeth! Like freshly fallen snow, so beautiful... Sometimes she felt bad for nearly never looking beyond the teeth. But then again, she _was_ the Tooth Fairy, after all. Jack, on the other hand... She was still wondering about where his feelings came from. Not that she couldn't relate to why someone would like Bunny. The Easter Bunny was quite impressive. But Bunny and Jack had never really gotten along, not truly after Jack had joined the Guardians and even less so before. And the Winter Spirit was still very reluctant to open up to the other Guardians, even after five years of being part of their family.

And that was where it got complicated. They  _were_ a family. Somehow. But the suppressed/ignored feelings between Bunny and Jack were making everything a bit different. The tension grew more and more with every passing month. Of course, all of them were quite busy. It had taken months alone to rebuilt all the damaged parts of the Tooth Palace, the Warren and North's Workshop. After that, they had all been busy getting back into the field, catching up on work and bringing all lights back. Because even after Pitch had been defeated, many lights had still been dimmed. And Jack was keeping himself the busiest, trying to gain more believers and bring as much joy to the children as possible. The thought of how dedicated Jack was brought a smile to Tooth's face. They were all proud of their young friend and his accomplishments.

“Toothy! Now, whose teeth are you thinking of to smile like that?”, teased a soft, amused voice.

The Tooth Fairy blinked a couple of times, taking in her surroundings. It was good that she knew her ways around, because it seemed her wings had carried her to her destination without her paying any attention whatsoever. She was in a garden, beautiful with hedges of different-colored roses. In the middle of the garden stood a round, old-fashioned table with five chairs around it. Three of said chairs were already occupied by minor spirits, two spirits of countries and their deepest seated beliefs and one spirit of mischief rivaling even Jack Frost. Said mischievous one, an auburn-haired girl in her late twenties, wearing a black witch-dress with a fitting hat and little pumpkin-jewelry, had been the one to address Tooth. Eve Hallows, the Spirit of Halloween and Mischief. The other two were engaged in a heated discussion with each other, one of them was a tall, blonde, well-tanned surfer girl with a cheeky grin, wearing a blue top and a red-white-striped mini-skirt, a young eagle sitting on the backrest of her chair, his beak combing through her hair. The other however was dressed in a traditional dirndl in black and red, golden embroidery lining the rim. She tried to gesture widely, but the mug of beer in one hand made that quite complicated. Oh, Tooth got along with many countries' spirits, but the spirits of the USA and Germany were her two favorites.

“Eve! Unity! Independence! I haven't seen you for so long!”, gasped the fairy delighted. “How long has it been that we've last been together...?”

“2001”, replied the blonde American darkly. “Thank you for your support back then...”

“That's what friends are for, Schatzi”, grinned the brunette female with a light German accent. “Say, Zähnchen, how are things going with your dear Guardians?” [trans: _daraling; toothy_ ]  


“Before I start talking, where is the host?”, smiled Tooth amused.

“Hope is busy with her lover boy”, replied the spirit of Halloween and wiggled her eyebrows.

Independence huffed slightly at that, crossing her arms as he leaned back against her backrest. Her eagle yelped in protest at that and jumped over to German's chair, head-butting the other eagle. The brunette smirked and drank from her beer, petting her own eagle absentmindedly before turning her head toward the small house at the end of the garden.

“Hooope!”, exclaimed Unity in a surprisingly booming voice. “Tooth is here! Hurry up!”

Tooth smiled slightly and sat down between Halloween and Germany. The brunette offered her a pretzel, one eyebrow raised in question. Laughing at that, Tooth shook her head no.

“I'm not very fond of those”, chuckled the fairy.

“I have some pumpkin-pie I could offer you?”, grinned Eve from Tooth's other side.

“Oh, love, stop it, we have guests!”, giggled another voice, getting their attention.

A silver-haired woman with sparkling golden eyes and pale skin, wearing a white dress, exited the house, trying to push an affectionate tall man in a toga off. Though the man seemed very keen on continuing his kissing, one arm wrapped around her waist, the other holding onto a bow.

“Valentine? What are you doing here?”, asked the Tooth Fairy surprised.

“That's what happens when you only stick around your precious guardians for too long. You miss all the fun”, replied Eve with a shrug, playing with her pumpkin-ring. “Valentine and Hope are dating. Isn't that sickeningly sweet? Love and Hope, together.”

“You know, you would think different about that if you wouldn't be all about fun and tricks!”, chided Germany, taking another sip from her beer. “Right, Independence?”

“Whatever you say, dear”, nodded the blonde surfer Barbie with a roll of her eyes. “Valentine! Get your hands off her! Tonight is girls-night! Get lost or I'll chase your sorry ass off!”

“Well, my love, I suppose it is time to take my leave”, grunted the spirit of Love with a glare before pecking Hope's lips a last time. “I'll return with the moon. Have fun.”

With that, the be-winged man took off. Tooth grinned slightly. She still remembered when she had first met him. It had been a shock. To think of the chubby lille baby humans liked to portrait him, even though he looked nothing less than a Greek god.

“I'm so glad you could make it, Toothy! We haven't seen you in _years_! Blimey, I was so worried when Pitch rose!”, gasped the silver-haired female and threw herself at Tooth, hugging the life out of the fairy. “I've heard so much about that little winter spirit of yours! You have to tell us _everything_! How is he behaving? Is he a good guardian? Does he get along with everyone?”

“Let her breath so she can answer, Hope”, snorted America and rolled her eyes.

“Oh. Right. Sorry”, mumbled the spirit of Wishing Stars and blushed brightly before sitting down.

Tooth chuckled slightly. That was what she had missed. Their affectionate ways. Oh, North was always good for a bone-crushing hug, but the guardians haven't seen all that much of each other in the past years either. Much to do. So very, very much. She took a slow look around, staring at the faces of her five best non-guardian friends. Indepence was stealing a pretzel from Unity, who was staring at Tooth with eagerness in her eyes. Eve Hallows on the other hand looked as if she was pouting while Hope was adjusting the little star-shaped pins in her hair.

“Why does _he_ get to be the guardian of Fun? What does a winter spirit know about fun?”, huffed Eve annoyed. “I'm the spirit of Halloween! Is there anything more fun than that? Really? I give children a chill, a fun-time and candy! What do I get? Manny doesn't even look at me twice! But that snow-brat gets to become a guardian? How is that any fair?”

“Eve? Shut up”, grunted the spirit of the USA annoyed. “Halloween is not all that popular around the world. Sure, sure, my people practically worship you, but you don't reach that many places. Snow on the other hand, that gets to every kid.”

Eve huffed indignifed and kept glaring, making the other females laugh. Unity was the first to turn her attention back to Tooth, chewing on another pretzel.

“Well? Spill it. What's he like? I mean, his name is Jack and he's full of fun! I have the suspicion he's Eve's brother. Like those stupid Jack-O'Lanterns, right? Could it be?”, grinned Germany.

“I wouldn't know about that”, laughed the fairy amused. “But he's a good kid. He's very dedicated to his new work as a guardian. Well, new... Five years now. Time passes so fast... We're all still adjusting after what Pitch had done to the children of the world. It was hard work, but now that we got most lights flickering like before and gaining even more believers thanks to Jack, I could finally take the time to visit you again. It's actually truly only thanks to Jack. He encouraged me to teach Baby Tooth to be my second-in-command so the fairies have someone to turn to for guidance and orders if I may not be there. And since Pitch's defeat, we guardians have agreed to meet at least once a month to check on each other and make sure everything is going fine...”

“And is everything going fine?”, wanted Independence to know.

“Well... Yes, yes”, nodded Tooth slowly and sipped on the tea Hope served her. “I mean, I guess so... It's just that during those meetings, there is this thing... between Bunny and Jack. And I'm pretty sure that it means something, but neither of them is ready to admit it and all they do is quarrel and chase each other through the workshop the whole time. I'm not sure what to do...”

“Now, don't let Valentine hear that”, snickered the spirit of the USA. “He doesn't like it when others meddle with his realm. You should keep your nose out of the love-life of others.”

“Oh yes, you really should”, agreed Unity with a harsh nod and a slight blush. “You only manage to confuse everyone even more! You should stick with teeth, not with the heart!”

The other four women laughed as Germany glared ath the fairy heatedly. Independence patted her back reassuringly and turned one raised eyebrow on Tooth.

“Besides, isn't he like... a human boy? Or was a human boy? What _exactly_ is his deal anyway?”

“He... was a human boy”, shrugged Tooth. “But he doesn't like talking about it. I'm not even sure if he really looked at his memories from his past. All he told us was that he had died for his sister and then Manny had turned him into a spirit.”

“So he's closed-off?”, noted Unity curiously.

“Three hundred years, Unity”, whispered Tooth, guilt and sadness filling her eyes and voice. “We've left him hanging for three hundred years. No one expected him to fall into our arms and accept us right away. It's hard work, still. But he attends every meeting and I think he is getting more... comfortable with being around us. Being heard, seen and touched is all still new to him, he easily shies away when there are too many people in the room or when it's getting too loud or the hugging lasts too long, what it always does with North. And it... hurts when Jack shies away from us. But... we're the only ones to be blamed for that, you know...?”

“So the lad doesn't trust you properly yet, what's the big deal?”, huffed Eve and rolled her eyes. “It's not like we don't have the time. We're immortals, Toothy. Just stay patient.”

“I know, I know”, sighed Tooth and took a cookie to nibble on. “I just... want him to be happy. I'm feeling bad for him... Three hundred years, Eve! Three-”

“Yes, yes, we understood you”, sighed the spirit of Halloween, adjusting her witch-hat. “That only means you'll have to be more patient with the brat.”

“And what is it you said about him and Häschen?”, inquiered Unity. “I mean, I know Bunny. He's not the affectionate kind of rabbit. What makes you think he likes the boy?” [trans: _Bunny_ ]

“The way he looks at Jack when Jack's not looking”, shrugged Tooth helplessly. “There's is a certain... understanding and sadness in his eyes. You know how five years ago, children stopped believing in him, walking right through him... I guess, out of all of us, he understands best what Jack had been going through for three hundred years. I think that brought him a lot of respect for the boy. But... what with Jack's constant teasing and pranking, Bunny keeps his feelings at bay. And I think the teasing and pranking are Jack's way of denying his own feelings. He hadn't been part of a family for so long, I think he may be afraid we would reject him for his feelings so he acts like he does to cover them up, you know? If only there was a way I could help without spelling it out for them, because I don't think they would appreciate that...”

Tooth heaved a sigh. She really wanted to help them, but she doubted they really noticed their own feelings yet. Or figured out what exactly they meant. So there was nothing she could do.

“Now, stop it with that sad face of yours!”, chided Unity. “Let's talk about something... nice, yes? It's so rare for all of us to gather together like that! Let's enjoy the time while it lasts, yes?”

Though while her friends fell into a light banter and small talk, Hope drifted off with her thoughts. She may not know Jack Frost personally, but she had heard his pleas over every single one of her falling stars, pleas for love to be fulfilled. Though meddling with the heart was one thing she couldn't do. Not just because she didn't want to offend her boyfriend, but rather because she couldn't just go to Bunny and force him to feel something he may not feel. What Jack was asking of the wishing stars was too much. He pleaded for love and acceptance, for his feelings to be right. There was nothing she could do to fulfill those wishes. If only he would wish for something, something she actually _could_ make come true, she would be more than willing to help. He had saved their precious believers, after all. And he had done something the spirit of Wishes had wished for herself for some time now. He had managed to unite the guardians in a way they had not been before. He had made them a family, shown them how important it was to have fun together instead of only meeting if danger arose. It was the least she could do, to help him. She just needed to find a way how to do it. Chewing on her bottom lip, she stared into her cup of tea. If there would be a way to encourage Jack into confessing his feelings, then he would finally get to see that his fellow guardians loved and cherished him just how he was and that they would not reject him. It pained Hope to see a child – even if said child was a three-hundred years old spirit – so insecure and still afraid. Tooth was right, five years of being a guardian had not changed much of his mentality.

It was decided. She would personally see to this and help Jack getting what he wanted. Somehow.


	2. Movie-Night at the Bennetts' and a Wish

Chapter 1: Movie-Night at the Bennetts' and a Wish

 

“Take me home, wind!”

The whistling cold breeze caressed his skin, taking him off the Eiffel Tower. Jack grinned broadly and closed his eyes, letting her direct his course and bring him back to the US. Five new believers in one week. The time in France had been good. It had only been a couple of weeks, but he had spend them to make this winter in Paris the most memorable possible.

Five years.

It had been five years since they had defeated Pitch. Him and the guardians. The _other_ guardians, that is. Yes, five years since he had become a guardian himself. The Guardian of Fun. And he had spend all his time trying to gain more believers, trying to spread joy and fun. The job was hard. Well, for the first time he actually viewed it as a job. Before, he had just stopped by wherever he wanted and brought snow. Now, he had to make plans and make children believe in him and the other guardians. Aside from finally having something to do, a purpose in his life, he also had... people to return to. The other guardians. They met up once a month, even if some meetings only lasted for an hour, at least they saw each other and kept up with what the others were doing.

It was good having them. It was nearly as if he had a family again. North was so much like the smothering father, always making sure that Jack knew that he could return to the workshop whenever he grew tired or wanted company. Sandy was the bad-ass big brother and Tooth was that dotting big sister. There was just one that didn't quite fit... Jack couldn't figure out which part Bunny was playing in this. Sure, in the past years since Jack had become a guardian, he and the kangaroo had gotten along somehow. He was constantly pranking Bunny and the Pooka was taking it lightly, playing along even though he acted annoyed and grumpy, there was always a certain fondness that Jack couldn't quite explain. Every prank ended with them playing a friendly round of catch, the overgrown rabbit chasing Jack through the whole workshop until both collapsed exhausted in front of North, who would laugh and offer them cookies and milk.

Going with that, Jack could say that Bunny was that easily-annoyed big brother, but thinking of the Pooka like that felt wrong. Because there was this fluttery feeling he always got when they were chasing each other. And even though he spend more time with the other three guardians – he often watched Sandy work at night and sat with him, and since him and Baby Tooth had been through so much together he also frequently visited the Tooth Palace and the workshop was like a second home anyway – he still enjoyed the time with the Pooka the most. It made him feel warm, even though warm was not what he normally liked, but this was a cozy kind of warmth and not an uncomfortable one. And the Pooka's fur was so incredibly soft and fluffy! And he felt somehow connected to Bunny. Sometimes, whenever nightmares of his solitude were plaguing him after another child had failed to believe in him and walked right through him, he would go to the Warren and just... sit there with Bunny. The Easter Bunny was the only one who understood what it felt like to be walked through. It didn't even need words then, it was as if the kangaroo knew exactly why Jack came, because the rabbit would refrain from making jabbing comments and just offer company.

Then there were the things Bunny's voice did to Jack. It made him shudder and send a tingly feeling through his body. As did the strong, lean body. Watching Bunny train with his boomerangs was the most enchanting thing Jack could imagine.

It had taken Jack a visit in Burgess to understand his own feelings. Not that he would share what he had learned with anyone. It had been only recently, about half a year ago, that he had visited his very first believer and best friend Jamie, just to learn something very astonishing about himself...

 

/flashback\

 

_Jack grinned broadly as he hung upside-down at the window. Though what he saw inside made his grin turn into a frown. The brunette teenager sitting on the bed looked unhappy. And Jack really didn't like seeing his best friend unhappy._

“ _Hey, Jamie! What's up?”, asked the winter spirit cheerfully and burst into the room._

_The human started and stared at him wide-eyed. The unhappy look was soon replaced by a happy grin as Jamie jumped up to greet his friend. Jack swallowed hard as they hugged. Jamie had grown again, was by now even taller than the white-haired former human. It was hard seeing the boy age and grow, because it only reminded Jack of Jamie's mortality._

“ _Jack! I wouldn't have thought I'd see you again before the next winter”, grinned Jamie._

“ _Well, I thought a little late snowfall would be nice”, smirked the guardian._

“ _That's great!”, laughed the boy delighted and fell back onto his bed. “Where have you been?”_

“ _I've been to Russia and Germany for a bit”, replied Jack leisurely. “But more important, how are you? You didn't look very happy when I came. Did something happen?”_

“ _Uh... I...”, started Jamie and blushed brightly, averting his eyes._

“ _Come on, I'm your friend, right?”, hummed the Guardian of Fun worried. “You can tell me.”_

“ _I... think I'm in love”, whispered Jamie barely audible._

“ _L... Love...?”, repeated Jack slowly, tasting the word on his tongue._

“ _Yeah. With Cadence”, nodded the brunette solemnly._

“ _Cadence?”, frowned the white-haired male._

“ _Cupcake. But we don't call her that anymore. We're no kids anymore”, chuckled Jamie and rolled his eyes, a faint blush covering his cheeks. “We're... really close now. You know, before we met you, we've never been friends. But now... I don't want to picture being without her anymore.”_

“ _That's what love is...?”, asked Jack, his frown deepening._

“ _What kind of question is that?”, laughed his mortal friend amused._

“ _Well...”, shrugged the guardian awkwardly, blushing a bit himself. “I've not been seen by anyone for so long, why should I have ever wasted a thought on the concept of love...?”_

“ _I guess that's right”, nodded Jamie thoughtful. “Okay. Well, yeah, that's what love is. That you really like someone and enjoy spending time with them the most and you don't want to imagine life without them, because everything is just... better as long as you're together. Damn, I shouldn't watch all of those cheesy movies Sophie wants me to watch.”_

_Jack nodded occasionally while Jamie kept talking about how school was and how awesome Cadence/Cupcake was. His own thoughts however raced faster than the Northern winds._

 

/flashback|end\

 

The winter spirit had spend the last few months mulling over this information. It had helped him piece together what part Bunny played in his life. A very important one. It had been the Pooka's rejection that had weighed more than any other back during their fight against Pitch, nothing had ever hurt Jack more than ruining Easter. Now that he had gotten a second chance with the guardians, he truly enjoyed his time with Bunny the most. Whenever he was all alone, he would yearn to be close to the overgrown kangaroo.

Now that he had come to terms with the fact that he was _madly and completely in love with Bunny_ , he was giddy to return to Burgess and see how much progress his best friend had made in the past half year. Finally reaching the window of Jamie's bedroom, he burst right into the house.

“Ah!”, screamed several voices as snow spilled into the room, accompanied by the spirit.

Jack laughed as he laid upside-down on the bed, right next to his first believer and best friend. His ice-blue eyes stared at the heap of blankets and pillows and teenagers. Cupcake – no, Cadence, he needed to keep that in mind now, really – laid next to Pippa, the two girls wearing pink nightdresses. On Pippa's other side were Monty and the twins, Caleb and Claude wearing blue pajamas. They all had grown so much, were so mature now. It made Jack's heart ache.

“Jack!”, exclaimed all teenagers amazed before clomping him.

The Guardian of Fun laughed as he was nearly suffocated by all of them, his friends and believers asking questions over questions, demanding to know where he last was and how the other guardians were and how often he visited them and many more.

“Slow down, guys”, chuckled the white-haired boy, trying to emerge from them.

They parted slowly and surrounded him with eager eyes. Jamie was the first to speak up.

“What are you up to, Jack? You haven't been around for so long! Where were you?”

“France, mainly”, shrugged the Guardian of Fun leisurely. “It was a snowy autumn for them. And then I spend some time in Russia. I missed you guys though! What have you been up to?”

“We have that new teacher at school!”, started Caleb, just to be interrupted by his brother.

“She's like amazing and all! I mean, she's really hot and totally cool.”

“And she's a good teacher”, added Monty with a huff and rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah”, dismissed the twins and rolled their eyes at him.

“She's always in on our pranks even”, grinned Pippa mischievously. “She even helped us once pulling a prank on our director!”

“Sounds cool”, nodded Jack, noticing how Jamie seemed awfully quiet as he kept staring over at Cadence. “And what subject does she teach?”

“History”, replied Cadence, giving him a broad smile. “But it's not boring with her! Miss Hallows is really good at telling stories, she even manages to make them sound like ghost stories.”

“And do you like her too, Jamie?”, asked the winter spirit curiously.

“Huh?”, blinked the oldest Bennett-child, staring up at him.

“He asked if you like Miss Hallows, dumbo”, snorted Cadence and rolled her eyes.

Jamie blushed and Jack knew instantly that no, his best friend had obviously not told Cupcake how he felt. Coughing slightly, the brunette teen shifted a bit.

“Uh... Sure”, shrugged Jamie awkwardly. “I mean, she's nice and pretty.”

The Guardian of Fun had to stiffen a laugh at the jealous glare Cadence send him. It seemed Jamie's feelings were not as unrequited as he feared. But it wasn't quite Jack's place to say.

“Anyway, what have you guys been doing before I interrupted?”, smiled the snow-bringer.

“We wanted to watch a movie. Do you want to stay?”, asked Pippa and tilted her head.

“What kind of movie?”, inquired the white-haired eternal teen.

“ _Avatar_. I found it in my parents' DVD shelf when I had to clean earlier today and thought we could rewatch it after all this time”, replied Jamie and got up to put the DVD into the player.

“What's it about?”, blinked Jack confused.

“If you don't know, you should simply watch it”, laughed Cadence and shook her head.

She got up to sit down next to Jack, followed by Pippa and Monty, squeezing down on Cadence's other side. As Jamie turned around to get back onto his bed, he blinked surprised. Blushing a bit, he sat down on the free spot between Cadence and Jack, the twins soon hurrying to lay sprawled in front of them, the bed groaning under the weight. Jack smirked mischievously, slowly pushing Jamie closer to Cadence while the Bennett-boy pressed play.

 

/break\

 

“So wait...”, grunted Jack very confused, about two hours later. “The human guy falls in love with a giant, humanoid, blue alien cat and everyone is _fine_ with that because he turns into one himself...?”

His brows were furrowed in utter confusion as he stared from one of his friends to the other. The teenagers laid around him, all holding their stomachs in laughter at the ridiculous expression on his face. Trying to breath deep, Jamie was the first to regain his calm.

“Yeah. I mean, it would have been awkward if Jake would have stayed in his wheelchair and been together with her, but now it's alright”, shrugged the brunette boy amused.

The winter spirit's brows furrowed further, causing Jamie's amusement to slowly die down. He couldn't remember ever seeing the Guardian of Fun so serious and deep in thought.

“Jack?”, asked Cadence softly, smoothing her pink dress. “Are you alright?”

Ice-blue eyes blinked a couple of times and stared at her. The grumpy, chubby girl had changed so much in the past five years, it made his heart swell with pride. Fun and friendship had done wonders to her. Blinking again, he shook his head.

“Yeah. I'm fine. Just a lot on my mind”, chuckled the white-haired teen.

“Your guardian-duties are certainly quite the burden sometimes, eh?”, grinned Pippa.

“Oh crap!”, yelped Jack wide-eyed and bolted off the bed.

“Jack? Wait up!”, called Monty confused, the teens all hurrying to the window.

Just before he truly flew off into the night sky, Jack turned around again to look at them apologetically. “I nearly forgot, we have a meeting tonight. Bu—ut I promise I'll come back.”

“Tomorrow?”, asked Jamie with begging eyes.

“The day after”, shrugged the winter spirit. “You know those meetings always get a bit... carried away... So I can't promise what I wouldn't be able to hold. Have fun, guys!”

Waving them one last time, he let the Northern wind carry him off in the direction of the pole. It was probably good, having some time to himself now. To mull things over. This movie, it had been a huge success. People enjoyed watching the romance between a human man and a giant, blue, humanoid alien cat? Humans were really weird. Everything was alright, just because the guy had changed into an alien too...? It made a certain hope blossom in his chest.

Did that mean his desires, his feelings, could be accepted too, if only they were the same species? It was one of his greatest fears these days, to be rejected. Not just by Bunny – that was one rejection he was already anticipating – but also by the other guardians and by his believers. To be an outcast again, to be left alone because of his freakish feelings. Bunny, that one was obvious to him. Why should the tall, strong, proud warrior want a mangy, scrawny human boy...?

The tiny spark of hope developed further and further, like a flower, the roots spreading and the petals unfolding. It would be okay, it could be okay. And it would maybe help him admitting his feelings. The last four meetings had been hard for Jack, whenever he looked at Bunny, he had to blush. Not knowing about what his feelings had been had been a blessing. But now he always feared to give them away, always thinking if he may have stared too long or blushed too much, fearing that someone may notice. Notice and then freak out. Freak out about how he could feel that way about Bunny. The last few years had been good, being a guardian had been good. Having a family was great. But it only intensified his fear to be abandoned. Because now that he knew how it could be, how good his life could be... He couldn't bear to lose that.

The winds grew colder and a smile spread over Jack's lips. Coming to the North Pole gave him the feeling of coming home. It meant to see the others. The cold weather was just another added bonus. Lifting his head, he stared into the night sky. It was beautiful. The Moon stood tall and bright, watching him with a silent smile. Jack's smile brightened even more as he saw a shooting star.

Tugging his thumbs between his pointers and middle fingers, he closed his eyes tightly.

“Make me like him”, whispered Jack softly, pleadingly. “Give me a chance. Please.”

His heart raced in anticipation. No. It kept racing, going faster and harder until breathing became hard for him. A pain erupted throughout his whole body, trying to rip him apart. It felt as if every cell of his body broke. It was so overpowering that he didn't even notice how his staff slid out of his hand. Not that he saw the Earth's surface coming closer, because the pain had blacked him out...


	3. Meeting at the Pole and Finding a Miracle

Chapter 2: Meeting at the Pole and Finding a Miracle

 

Aster was not amused. Even less than that, he was at his 'grumpy point' how Jack had started calling it. And exactly that annoying winter spirit was at fault for Bunny's bad mood.

It was their monthly meeting at the workshop, but the Guardian of Fun had yet to show up. So far, he was three hours late. Aster tried very hard to suppress his worry. The little imp was certainly just stuck somewhere doing mischief, spreading snow or playing. But a nagging little voice (that sounded oddly like North) was telling him that Jack was taking his duties too serious to be that much too late. It had been a pleasant surprise really, but then again, thinking about it, it wasn't much of a surprise that Jack took it so serious. He longed so much to belong, he was so eager to gain more believers, to get praised by North. He was truly doing a good job. And so far, he had not been late for any meetings. In fact, he was always the first to arrive (after North, since the Russian was living at their meeting place). So three hours of waiting made the other four guardians nervous.

It was so silent between the four of them that the sudden noise of the yetis entering with loud voices nearly startled them to death. North turned with a frown to stare at them while Bunny helped Tooth back up. The fairy had fallen off her chair in surprise. Smoothing her feathers in embarrassment, she thanked the Pooka. They observed their Cossack friend curiously, watching his body language. Something was up. And with a look at the yetis, they saw that they were carrying something.

“That's impossible!”, exclaimed North with eyes, for once not wide with wonder but with surprise.

The white-haired man hurried closer to the yetis to examine whatever they were carrying. He looked eager and nervous and worried. Blue eyes kept trailing between the thing and Bunny.

“What's up, mate?”, grunted the Pooka curiously and stood.

“I—They found--”, started North, unsure how to phrase this.

But the Russian didn't have to finish the sentence. Bunny, Tooth and Sandy already came closer to look for themselves. The fairy gasped astonished, the Sandman let many different signs appear above his head, too fast to follow, not that anyone was paying him any mind, seeing as everyone was staring at the yetis and their burden. The eyes of North, Sandy and Tooth slowly moved to give Bunny a concerned look, but the Pooka was beyond caring. He was, all in all, feeling numb.

Being carried by two yetis was the most impossible thing. A Pooka. A buck, probably only barely in his adulthood. A Snow Pooka, to be more precise. Bunny himself had only scarcely seen them, seeing as he preferred spring. The young buck had white fur, as white as snow. Well, not completely white. His tribal markings were such a light silver color that they nearly went unnoticed. The kit was shivering slightly, his ears constantly twitching.

“He's a beaut”, whispered Bunny absentmindedly, reaching a shaking paw out for the kit.

He was real. Bunny could feel the soft fur beneath his paws, see how the other Pooka (he would have never thought he'd get to say that ever again) leaned into the touch. Suddenly Aster's heart decided to go from not-beating-out-of-surprise to racing-at-top-speed. There was another Pooka, who somehow had survived. He wasn't the last one. A hope, more beautiful than anything he had ever felt before, blossomed in his chest.

“We need to get him treated!”, growled Bunny angered. “Check him!”

The yetis nodded hastily and carried the buck off to one of the spare rooms, the older Pooka close at their heels, observing every grip they had on the kit with sharp, dangerous eyes. He didn't even dare to blink, too afraid the young Pooka would vanish. Sitting down next to the Snow Pooka, Aster tenderly ran one paw through incredibly soft, yet somehow cold fur. The kit was freezing and he wasn't sure if it was because he had been laying unconscious in the snow for too long or if it was the normal temperature of a Snow Pooka. Aster's heart leaped with joy as the buck cuddled closer to his touch. It had been so long since the Easter Bunny had last felt the presence of another one of his own kind close by. It felt so incredible. The yetis ran around, checking the buck thoroughly, though Aster only barely noticed them, too preoccupied with the Pooka that had by now snuggled his way up into Bunny's lap, content with curling together in the safety of the older Pooka's embrace.

“Old friend?”, asked the uncertain voice of North from the door.

Aster blinked, having a hard time to tear his gaze away from the little miracle in his lap. “What?”

“We decided to go and search for Jack. It had been five hours now, something is up”, grunted Santa with a untypically dark frown. “The yetis will stay with you, take care of kit. We will call if we-”

“Woah, wait, mate”, interrupted the Easter Bunny. “Yer not leaving alone. What do ya want to do, the three of you? Searching the whole planet? I'll come with you.”

“Ah. We... assumed you'd want to stay with the kit...?”, grunted North surprised.

Aster froze, his eyes wandering down to the soft-furred thing in his lap. His deepest, most ancient instincts told him to _stay_ and to _protect_. Told him he could not leave the beautiful buck alone. But his instincts had rested for long and they were not strong enough to overpower that voice that told him to move his cottontail and find the mischievous winter imp.

“The kit is out cold anyway”, grunted Aster reluctantly. “He won't wake up for hours, probably. It's no good if I just sit around and do nothing. Frostbite could be hurt out there, or face an enemy without backup. Ya lot would be lost in a fight without me.”

The Russian seemed way too pleased by his answer, making the Easter Bunny frown. “Good! Yetis will take care of the kit! Then come, we have to plan where to start!”

“Not so fast”, grunted Aster and shook his head. “I'm not leaving the buck alone with yer yetis.”

He slowly managed to sneak out beneath the white Pooka. Once he stood fully, he tapped his foot two times onto the floor, opening a tunnel. North frowned at him in confusion.

“What are you doing?”, asked the Cossack.

“Just wait a second. I'm either coming back with Frostbite and we get to preach him into the next millennium, or I'll come back with someone I can trust with the buck. No offense, Phil.”

The yeti checking the buck's temperature grunted and waved his hand dismissively. Aster jumped down his tunnel. He truly, sincerely hoped that he would find that irritating, infatuating spirit where he was going now, all big, icy blue eyes begging for forgiveness, saying he forgot the time. And if not that, then he would at least find someone he could completely trust with the buck. And there were only five beings on this planet that would apply to. He needed someone with the buck in case the pretty thing would wake up. No one aside from North (and oddly enough Jack) understood the yetis, the young Pooka would probably have a panic attack, waking up all alone, surrounded by the quite scary looking snowmen. No, he needed someone there who would be able to calm the kit and reassure him that everything was fine and that they only wanted to help him.

Reaching his destination, he poked his head out of his rabbit hole, just to shake some. It was freezing cold, snow was covering the lawn. So Jack had already been here. Climbing out of the hole, he walked over to the backdoor of the house and sneaked in. What he found was not entirely what he had hoped for (means: Jack). But it was a start.

“Oi, ankle-biters”, grunted Bunny with a frown, crossing his arms over his chest. “Seen Frostbite?”

The six teenagers, all wearing quite ridiculous night clothes, blinked wide-eyed at the Easter Bunny, the twins even dropping their peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches in surprise. The blonde with the glasses had his mouth hanging so far open, it was kind of ridiculous.

“T—The Easter Bunny”, exclaimed the scrawny brunette girl. “J—Jamie, you didn't say the guardians still visit you! That's no fair!”

To be honest, Bunny was a little surprised that all the teenagers could see him. They were past the age of believing in the Easter Bunny, yet... After what they had been through together to defeat Pitch, it somehow didn't surprise him that they still believed. They had, after all, seen exactly what not believing had nearly done to the world.

“Bunny? Bunny!”, exclaimed a very excited voice. “I knew I heard your voice!”

Sophie stared wide-eyed up at Bunny, her green eyes sparkling in excitement. The kid was not even ten yet, but Aster could already tell she would one day become a pretty sheila. A rare smile graced Bunny's lips as he leaned down and ruffled her uneven hair (her mother needed to take the scissors away from her!). Sophie giggled delighted, holding onto his paw.

“Well? Ya going to answer my question?”, grunted Aster after another moment. “I'm a busy bunny.”

“Jack was here last night”, replied Jamie slowly, watching Bunny with suspicious eyes. “But then he left, saying he had to attend a meeting at the Pole.”

Bunny's ears dropped. Not the answer he had hoped for. It meant Frostbite hadn't forgotten, knew exactly, had even been on the way to them. But something had managed to keep him from arriving. Gritting his teeth, Aster turned away from Jack's Bennett to his own.

“Ya think ya can do a busy bunny a favor?”, asked Bunny softly.

“Yes!”, exclaimed Sophie excited. “What do you need, Bunny?”

“I need ya to watch after something very precious to me”, murmured Aster. “Because I have to look for something else very precious. Ya think yer up for the job?”

“Of course!”, nodded the blonde girl determined. “I'll watch your treasure!”

“Ya little ankle-biters can enjoy yer little party”, grunted Bunny with a short nod.

“Wait!”, exclaimed Jamie and jumped down his seat.

He held Bunny at his arm, glaring at the guardian with a fierceness that surprised the Pooka a great deal. The other teenagers came to form a half-circle behind the older Bennett.

“This has something to do with Jack”, stated the brunette boy with a serious expression. “He... hasn't arrive to the meeting, right? What happened to him?”

“We... don't know”, sighed Bunny in defeat. “We'll go and search for him, don't worry.”

“We want to help!”, grunted the more curvy girl with a dark glare. “If something happened to Jack, we want to help. He's our friend too.”

“C—Cadence, you can't talk to the Easter Bunny like that”, piped the blonde boy nervously.

“No, the sheila's right”, grunted Aster after a moment. “Okay, listen. North, Tooth, Sandy and me have to search for Frostbite, but it's only three months till Christmas and we have the yetis occupied with... something important too. If ya ankle-biters want to help, ya can watch the workshop and help out there, keep track on the regions we covered.”

“Like... the watchtower, eh?”, grinned Caleb. “We'll be the commando base.”

“Whatever ya want to call it”, snorted Bunny and rolled his eyes. “We have to hurry.”

Tapping his foot two times, he opened another tunnel, causing all kids to scream in excitement as they slid down the slippery tunnel. Bunny made sure to keep Sophie securely tugged in his arms, not trusting the sneaky girl to end up in a completely different place.

Different exclamations of wonder and amazement followed as they stumbled out into the workshop. Bunny chuckled slightly, of course the teens would be impressed to see Santa's workshop. He put Sophie down and motioned for them to follow him through the busy halls and to the Globe Room, where Tooth was buzzing about like the hyperactive fairy she was, closely followed by Baby Tooth.

“Bunny? What is the meaning of this?”, grunted North surprised as he noticed the kids.

“We're here to help”, declared Claude and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“Yes, we'll calculate the best route for your search and keep you informed on the progress the others make and we'll keep tab on where you've already been”, nodded Monty excited.

“That is so sweet of you, kids”, smiled Tooth softly.

Sandy gave them a thumbs up and a broad, grateful smile. Bunny nodded shortly to himself, before tugging Sophie along to the room where the other Pooka was still sleeping. Jamie, upon noticing that his little sister was led away by the Easter Bunny, took Cadence's hand without noticing and pulled her along to follow them. Their other friends' curiosity was peaked too.

“Is the treasure you want me to protect here, Bunny?”, asked Sophie very seriously.

“Yes”, nodded Aster with a soft chuckle. “And it's a very important treasure.”

“Oh my guardians, it's a Pooka!”, exclaimed Pippa in a high-pitched voice.

“But... But we thought you're the last one! This is scientifically huge!”, grunted Monty.

“How do you children know about Pookas?”, asked Tooth softly.

“Jack told us everything about you guys! Back when we were younger, he dropped by every Saturday at the Bennetts' and we would have a sleep over and he told us all of your adventures”, replied Cadence in a low voice. “He always made sure we'd never stop believing. It's why we have to help find him now! Maybe Pitch came back and took his revenge!”

“Pretty...”, whispered Sophie amazed as she came to stand next to the bed, extending her hand to pat the white fur, followed by a giggle. “And soft! Is she alright?”

“We don't know if _he_ is alright. It's why I need ya to watch over him”, grunted Aster and crossed his arms seriously. “If he wakes up, I need ya to keep him calm and here. I don't want him to be scared off by the yetis and run away. No offense, Phil.”

The yeti just passing Bunny with a load of snow on his arms to place on the white Pooka's forehead made a dismissively sound and continued with his task. Sophie nodded, a very serious expression on her face. Crossing her arms, just like Aster, she took a seat next to the bed.

“I'll protect him!”, nodded the blonde girl. “You go and search for Jack!”

Sandy, North, Tooth and the teens were the first to leave the room. Aside from Jamie, that is. The boy stayed back some, waiting for Bunny, who tenderly caressed the spot between the Snow Pooka's ears a last time before leaving. The gray Pooka glared down at Jamie curiously as the boy stared up at him demandingly on their way back to the Globe Room.

“You called Jack something very precious to you”, noted the Bennett-boy.

“I did not-”, denied Bunny, his ears laying flat against his skull.

“You told Soph to watch over 'something precious to you', which is the Pooka, so you could search for 'something else very precious'”, grunted Jamie and rolled his eyes. “No denying it.”

“Well, he's a fellow guardians, of course that little nuisance is precious”, huffed Aster.

“That's not it. And I think we both know that”, disagreed Jamie sternly. “You _like_ him.”

“I do not. Why should I?”, growled the giant rabbit annoyed. “He's just an annoying ice block!”

“That's why you leave the Pooka in my sister's care to search for Jack instead of staying with the last of your kind yourself, mh? Because he's such an annoying ice block?”

The boy's eyes were taunting and mischievous, a teasing smiles on his lips. Bunny growled. That kid spend too much time with Frostbite! Jamie laughed softly and elbowed the Pooka.

“Jack talks an awful lot about you, you know?”, hummed the teen casually. “I mean, way more than about the other guardians.”

“He does?”, asked Aster, his voice way too hopeful and why did his ears have to shoot up at that?!

“ _Very_ much so”, smirked Jamie, shoving his hands into his pockets. “You know he's still very lonely, right? Even with us and with you guys around. I think sometimes he's afraid that he'll come and we stop believing in him, that we can't see him anymore. It's why he makes winter in Burgess always especially beautiful. I... think it'll help him, knowing that you care.”

“I don't think so”, huffed Bunny stubbornly. “It'll only give him another thing to harass me with. I'd never live that down, the whacker wouldn't stop making fun of me for years.”

“Don't think so low of him”, murmured the brunette with soft eyes. “I think it'll mean very much to him. He still thinks you hold a grudge because of the blizzard of '68, you know?”

Aster frowned down at the human. Why should Jack think that? They were past that stupid blizzard by now. And why was that kid telling him all of this? Shaking his head, he tried to focus on Monty and North, who had taken over the lead to lay out their plan. For now, he needed to get his Frostbite back before he could ponder what kind of feelings the frozen little imp was evoking in him.


	4. Waking up at the Exact Right Moment

Chapter 3: Waking up at the Exact Right Moment

 

Bunny's breath was ragged as he burst into the workshop again, his eyes frantic. “Activate the Northern Lights, ankle-biters! The others need to return _now_!”

The teenagers gathered around the globe yelped in slight surprise and turned to look at the frantic Easter Bunny. Their eyes widened in fear as they saw what he was clinging to.

“J—Jack's staff!”, exclaimed Jamie with panic in his voice, running over to Bunny. “Where did you find it? Why haven't you brought Jack? Jack would never leave his his staff behind!”

Monty all the while had enough sense to do as Aster had ordered. Clinging to the wooden staff like it was the most precious item on the planet, the Pooka walked through the halls to the one bedroom where he knew his little ankle-biter and the Snow Pooka were.

“I haven't found Frostbite”, muttered Aster darkly. “Too much snow, I couldn't pick up his scent. I only found his staff in the snow, it was as if the stupid thing was glowing, calling me to it.”

“It probably did”, mused Cadence as they followed him. “I mean, it _is_ a magical artifact.”

“Hey kiddo, did he wake up?”, asked Bunny lowly as they entered the bedroom.

“Nope”, replied Sophie from her spot next to the bed. “Did you find him?”

“Nope”, sighed the Pooka and shook his head.

He collapsed on the bed, pulling the smaller Pooka close to seek comfort by the other's fur. The unconscious buck whimpered slightly and cuddled closer to him. Aster rested the staff against the wall, glaring at it as if he was blaming it for leaving Jack's side.

“Do you think something happened to him?”, whispered Jamie solemnly.

“Nah, Frostbite's tough”, snorted Aster, wishing he could believe his own words.

“Come! They're in the other room with the other Pooka!”, called Monty from outside.

Shortly after, the blonde boy entered together with the other three guardians, all looking around for Jack, expecting the snow-bringer to give them a mischievous grin. Instead, they were faced by a serious and obviously worried Aster. Something that was more than upsetting.

“Old friend?”, asked North lowly, fearing to ask the question on his tongue.

“I found his staff, but Frostbite was no where in sight”, replied Aster evenly. “I think someone took him, maybe Pitch or a jealous spirit? It wasn't far from the workshop, he must've been on his way.”

The guardians had gone separated ways after Monty had determined the most likely route for Jack to take from Burgess to Santoff Claussen. Aster gritted his teeth, cradling the other Pooka even closer, pawing at the soft fur nervously. His Frostbite couldn't be lost. They had let Pitch take the kid once before and it had been a disaster that had ruined Easter and nearly been their demise.

“Jack... was nearly here? So close when he got taken...?”, whispered Tooth with guilty eyes.

“Don't even start, sheila”, warned Bunny. “We wouldn't have been able to do anything, we couldn't know what was happening. We need to stay calm now and make a plan.”

“Oh, if Pitch did anything to harm him, I will take more than just one of his teeth!”, growled Tooth.

Aster hummed, nuzzling the smaller Pooka's face. The white buck snuggled even more into the embrace. Aster ran his paws through the soft fur, his thoughts someplace else. He prayed to MiM that his Frostbite was alright, that he would be alright until they got to rescue him.

“What are we supposed to do now...?”, asked Pippa with a frown. “How are we going to find Jack?”

Tooth blinked and turned to look at Sandy, who made a couple of signs, making her nod. “Sandy is right. We need to calm down first. If we run off like headless chickens, we won't be any help.”

Bunny heaved a sigh, watching how the children and the other guardians started to fall into a banter as to what would be the best way to approach this situation. Though before he could voice his own opinion, he felt the Pooka in his arms stir.

“G—Guys, shut up, will ya? The buck wakes!”, growled Aster lowly.

The last thing he needed was for the Snow Pooka to get a panic attack thanks to a loudly bickering North and Tooth. He gave the two a hard glare, effectively shutting them up. Everyone in the room tensed, their attention focused on the white Pooka whose eyelids slowly fluttered open.

 

/break\

 

It was cold and it was dark. That was everything Jack could register, the cold and darkness he remembered from the most horrible and most frightening moment of his life, of after-life. His mind was dull, for the longest time everything felt numb. Until there was a warmth, a warmth he had never felt before. It made him feel safe and happy. Sounds, noises, chattering. There were others, someone was around him. The warmth left him. A feeling of abandonment overwhelmed him. He was weak and hurt, couldn't even move. He wanted the warmth to return to him to make him feel safe. Then, after what felt like eternity, did the warmth return, embracing him. It strengthened him, woke him from his numbness. His eyelids fluttered open and at first everything was hazy and foggy. But his warmth was there, making him feel safe. Agonizingly slow did the world come into focus.

“Hey there, Snowy”, murmured a soft, comforting voice.

Okay, that world that had just come into focus must have been a dream-world. The first thing he saw was the Easter Bunny, smiling down at him so softly and friendly that it could never be real. There was no way the kangaroo would ever give him such a smile. The thought made his heart clench. Blinking a few times, he looked around. He was in a spare room in the workshop... surrounded by.. yetis, the other guardians and the kids from Burgess. All the reason more to believe that this must have been a dream. What else could they be doing here? He opened his mouth to ask a question, but his throat was dry so no sound came out. Bunny shushed him, patting his head.

“Everything is alright, little one”, murmured Aster before turning to Phil. “Get him some water.”

The yeti grunted and left hastily. Jack blinked a few more times, taking another look around. Everyone was looking at him concerned, North was even wringing his hands, frowning. The Guardian of Fun sighed slightly and cuddled closer to the warmth of Bunny. Why not enjoy his dream as long as it lasted? And Aster was _really_ comfortable.

“Here ya go”, smiled Aster as Phil reentered the room, taking the water glass from him.

Jack opened his mouth slightly to take a sip, lifting his hands to grab the glass himself. He was old enough to drink on his own, thank you very much. He took a big gulp, feeling instantly refreshed, the dryness slowly leaving. Sighing relieved, the world finally came into full focus. The first thing he saw, now completely clear, was the glass in front of his face. And... the two white paws holding the glass?! Giving a startled yelp, he let the glass fall down.

“Everything alright, Snowy?”, frowned Bunny.

“I—I have fur!”, yelped Jack, staring at his hands in utter fascination, turning them over.

“Of course ya do, ya dango”, chuckled the Easter spirit amused. “Yer a Pooka.”

“I'm a what now?!”, grunted the spirit of Fun confused. “What a weird dream...”

Aster frowned down at the cuddly ball of fur in his lap, the Snow Pooka returning the stare. The Easter Bunny nearly got lost in the endlessly deep pools of the most magnificent ice-blue color, a blue so pure and captivating not even he could ever dream of mixing it together. He had only ever seen such a intense blue once before. Aster stared in utter disbelief.

“F—Frostbite...?”, gaped the Guardian of Hope.

“Yeah, kangaroo...?”, yawned the Snow Pooka and rubbed his eyes. “What kind of dream _is_ this?”

“Wait. What do you mean, Bunny?”, grunted North confused.

“That's—It's... This is Frosty...”, stuttered Bunny stunned.

“What?! Is impossible!”, exclaimed Santa and lifted the Snow Pooka up.

Jack yelped surprised as North grabbed him beneath the arms and looked him critically up and down. That was the exact moment Jack noticed that he was _naked_. A very high-pitched yelp escaped his lips and he tried to cover himself, pulling his legs up.

“I'm naked! Put me down, North!”, hissed Jack embarrassed.

Bunny frowned even more confused for a moment before he understood what the Guardian of Fun meant. Growling threateningly at North, he wrapped the blankets around the smaller Pooka and pulled him close again. Jack looked kind of grateful for that and snuggled more into the blankets.

“Jack? Is that... really you...?”, asked Jamie sceptically.

“Course it is. I mean... the fur is new... and the... oh dear Moon, the ears!”, yelped Jack and pulled stunned on his long ears to stare at them. “I _am_ a Pooka.”

“Oh! We've been so worried when you didn't show up!”, gasped Tooth relieved and hugged him.

“Yeah... uh... Sandy, tell me, is this a dream...?”, mumbled the white-furred Pooka with a frown.

Sandy, who had flown up to them to join the hug, shook his head with a broad grin. North too joined them, giving a throaty, relieved laugh as he lifted the three guardians into the air. Aster watched them with a frown, his all-seeing eyes observing how his Snowflake stiffened just the slightest bit, his pupils a bit larger than normally. The Easter Bunny growled dangerously.

“Let him go, ya morons, don't ya see he's uncomfortable?”, huffed Bunny annoyed.

His friends bolted apart and the Sandman, the Tooth Fairy and Santa stared slightly awkward down at the fluffy ball of fur. Jack relaxed a little now that he had his personal space back. Unannounced or too much touching or generally speaking too much attention at once still set him on unease.

“Phil, bring the ankle-biters home”, ordered Aster, noticing that Jack still wasn't completely at ease.

Too many people in the room – yetis, elves, the teenagers and the guardians – it was making Jack uncomfortable, because everyone was staring at him as if he was some kind of main attraction.

“I'll drop by once I know what's going on”, offered Jack with a lopsided grin, seeing the reluctance in his friends' eyes. “But I'm fine. Not hurt or anything. Just got to sort this... fur-and-paws-situation out and you probably won't be much of a help there, eh? And we don't want to worry your parents.”

The teenagers turned to exchange a couple of glares before nodding slowly. Jamie still first walked over to hug his best friend. He was only slightly surprised at how soft Jack was.

“Don't forget it!”, warned the brunette boy sternly before Phil led them out.

“Well?”, asked North patiently as the door closed behind the others. “What happened to you?”

“I—I don't know”, shrugged Jack a little helplessly. “I was flying here and then there was this really immense, mind-numbing pain and I dropped my—My staff! Where's my-”

“Here, Frostbite, calm down”, interrupted Bunny upon hearing the frantic edge of Jack's voice.

The taller Pooka nudged the staff closer to the Guardian of Fun. The white, long ears relaxed against Jack's skull as he cradled the wooden staff safely in his arms. Aster shook his head.

“But do you remember anything from before? I mean, was there something strange?”, asked Tooth.

Emerald eyes observed how long white ears shot up curiously. Interesting. It had been so long since Aster had last gotten to watch another Pooka. He still had a hard time blinking, because he feared the cute Pooka – what? Not cute, that was _Jack_ after all – would vanish. It was amazing, the purely instinctual reactions of Jack. The boy was normally quite contained, he was good at hiding what was going on behind a broad smile. The ears suddenly flattened, very much so. Aster raised an eyebrow at that. Why was Jack blushing?

“Well? Spill it, Frostbite”, grunted the Easter Bunny, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Uh... uh... Nothing?”, tried the white-furred Pooka.

Tooth frowned curiously, her eyes trailing between the obviously embarrassed white Pooka, the intrigued gray Pooka and the two completely oblivious guys standing next of her. It was apparent that Jack knew what had caused his sudden change in appearance. And it was just as clear that Aster felt very drawn to the young Pooka, the Easter Bunny was protectively looming over Jack. For the first time since Jack had joined the guardians did the Pooka show that he actually cared for the winter-bringer. Frowning slightly, Tooth turned to the window. A sparkling, bright light caught her attention. A star, shooting through the dark night sky. Tooth blinked and grinned. She had a pretty good idea who may have decided to interfere.

“How about we let Bunny and Jack clear that alone? Sandy and I still have so much to do and North, you need to prepare for Christmas!”, announced Tooth, pulling a very loudly protesting North and a slightly confused Sandy out of the room. “Aster, you talk to Jack! Have fun!”

The two Pookas stared after the retreating trio in confused silence. The confused silence slipped into a very, very awkward silence all too soon. It was then that Jack fully noticed how close he was to the Easter Bunny and how oddly good it felt. Something within him told him that it was right.

“I'm sorry”, was the first thing Jack muttered, fidgeting with his paws.

“What are ya sorry for, Frosty?”, murmured Aster softly, trying to coax the slightly frightened Pooka into trusting him, nudging him. “What happened, Jackie? Ya don't need to be sorry.”

“I—It must have been a shock for you to see another Pooka... I'm sorry I'm just... me...”

“Hey, don't make it sound like yer a disappointment”, chided Bunny, rubbing his chin against Jack's head as he pulled the smaller male close. “Yer still a real Pooka now, at this moment. Besides, what would I be supposed to do with some stranger? Wouldn't want someone foreign near us.”

He gave Jack a friendly nudge, but the white ears were still flat against Jack's skull, making Bunny frown. Heaving a sigh, Aster wrapped his arms around Jack's midsection and pulled him onto his lap. Jamie Bennett was probably right. The annoying Frostbite meant more to Aster than he should. This realization had crashed down on him when he had found the staff without Jack, the fear that someone may have taken a defenseless Jack had frightened him more than anything in a very long time. A giggling sound interrupted Aster's thoughts and he blinked down at Jack.

“That tickles, Bunny”, grinned the Guardian of Fun, staring wide-eyed up at Aster.

Now it was Bunny's turn to 'blush', his ears flat against his skull. Having a real Pooka around had woken some very old instincts in him. He slowly closed his mouth, his tongue back inside and far away from Jack's face. In his frenzy, he had started grooming the smaller Pooka.

“Sorry. Instincts”, grunted the embarrassed Easter Bunny, coughing slightly. “Anyway, Jackie-boy, you going to tell me now how you came to be a Pooka?”

“I—I really don't know it”, shrugged Jack with furrowed brows. “I was flying and then I saw this brilliant shooting star and... I didn't know it would come true!”

“Really?”, snorted Aster amused. “You've been brought back from the dead by the moon and spend three hundred years flying around and spreading snow... But shooting stars can't fulfill wishes?”

“Well... When you say it like that...”, muttered Jack, his ears flat again.

“Wait”, grunted Bunny with a frown. “Why would you wish to become a Pooka...?”

Jack turned his head away, taking a deep breath. He had wished to be a Pooka because he had hoped it may also make him braver. But that part seemed to not have come true... Somehow he was overly sensitive though, the warmth and softness and strength of Aster seemed to much more intense.

“B—Because I love you and I know you'd never even contemplate the idea of being with me and I hoped that maybe as a Pooka, you would at least acknowledge me, but I know it was a stupid idea, but it's just so much harder now that we're friends and now that I spend so much time with you! It was easier when you weren't talking to me like with the blizzard! I mean, I know this is going to end bad, because it ended bad the last time I tried to confess to you that I fancy you and-”

He was interrupted by a soft muzzle kissing him. At first he was too shocked, but the soft paws caressing him relaxed him enough to give in and kiss back. Aster smiled at him as they parted.

“Yer cute when ya ramble, Frosty”, chuckled Bunny, nuzzling Jack's neck. “But I liked ya just fine as a human too. Though you _are_ way more sexy now, my Snowflake.”

This made Jack yelp undignified. A million questions buzzed in his head, but Aster's kisses proved to be quite distracting. So were his paws. And his tongue. Actually, what questions?


	5. Living at Bunny's and Scaring North

Chapter 4: Living at Bunny's and Scaring North

 

Jack gave a strangled gasp at the foreign feeling of Aster's paws running over his body, tenderly caressing every inch of his body, twirling the white fur fascinated.

“B—Bunny, what are you doing?”, whimpered the Guardian of Fun confused.

The older Pooka had gone back to grooming him, his cunning tongue paying very close attention to Jack's cheek, wandering down over his chest and belly. He yelped surprised, feeling the heat rise in to his cheeks as a tickling sensation started to pool in his lower belly. But then, just as the sensation started to intensify and really feel awesome, it stopped and Bunny retreated. Long, gray ears laid flat against his skull, forest-green eyes shone with embarrassment.

“Sorry, Frosty”, mumbled the Easter Bunny, palming the back of his neck.

“Why are you sorry?”, frowned Jack, sitting up some. “I really hope you're sorry for _stopping_.”

“What?”, blinked Aster doe-eyed. “No. For, uh, _starting_.”

“I was actually kind of fine with it, until you stopped and started giving me awkward glances”, huffed the white Pooka with a frown. “What's wrong, Bunny?”

“I don't mean to push you into anything, it's just that you... you look amazing”, sighed Aster, nervously fidgeting which would have made Jack laugh normally because it was so not Bunny, but the circumstances were not really a laughing matter. “And you just said you turned into a Pooka _for me_. No one has ever done anything even remotely special for me. And the way you _smell_. You're the cutest Pooka I've ever seen, with that silvery white fur and you're so fluffy and soft and the way you react—You just... woke very old instincts in me, ya know...?”

“Instincts?”, asked Jack, cocking his head. “What instincts?”

“ _Mating instincts_ ”, hissed Bunny, obviously very embarrassed.

It took a moment for the Guardian of Fun to realize what the older Pooka was saying. Though then it dawned on him and his ears were suddenly also very flat against his skull, ice-blue eyes wide.

“Oh...”, mumbled Jack, bowing his head slightly, before shooting up and staring at Bunny stunned. “W—Wait... You want to... with me...? You want _me_ as your mate?”

Aster shrugged, as if he was unsure what to do with his paws. “Yer a beauty, Jackie. And I've been feeling kinda attracted to ya even _before_ ya turned into a Pooka... But now...? It's hard suppressing the urge to pin you down an' claim ya...”

Jack had to giggle a bit, because he was pretty sure if Aster would be human, his whole body would turn the darkest red possible right about now. He looked so embarrassed at his own words. It was cute. Not as cute and the mini-version of Bunny had been, but still cute enough to make Jack jump him. His paws wrapped around the Australian's broad neck, his muzzle nuzzling against Aster's.

“Well, you know you shouldn't fight against your nature, right?”, whispered Jack mischievously.

“Don't say things like those, Jackie”, growled Bunny, his voice hoarse and raw. “If ya say things like those I won't be able to hold back any, ya know?”

Aster couldn't see it, but Jack's eyes sparked with so much mischief that they would have been able to lit a room. Jack licked his lips before turning to slowly, cautiously licking Aster's neck.

“I'm not the kind of bunny for loose making-out”, hummed Jack, tilting his head some to bare his neck to Aster and coincidentally reach Bunny's neck better. “I'm all in for a... long-term commitment. So if you _really_ want me, then you better put a claim on me. Or I may be hopping off with the next best kangaroo to offer a better deal.”

A dark, primal growl rumbled through Aster's chest and Jack suppressed a chuckle. It seemed the kangaroo was of the jealous kind. The prospect of Jack 'hopping off' with someone else made the gray Pooka flip them over, pinning Jack's wrists against the mattress, scent-marking him and nibbling at Jack's neck, rubbing his whole body against the white Pooka.

“Mine”, growled Aster possessively.

“You have no idea how long I wanted to hear that”, confessed Jack with a soft smile.

“Only mine”, purred the Guardian of Hope, trailing his path back down to Jack's crotch.

The new Pooka yelped surprised and slightly flustered as he felt himself... move, in a lack for a better word. Wide ice-blue eyes watched how his member extended from its hidden sheath. Gray paws were back to caressing him _everywhere_ and he was thoroughly enjoying the attention and the soft touch. Despite Bunny's claims that his instincts took over, he was still tender and cautious, taking it slow because those new touches were slowly overwhelming him. He liked being the center of attention because of his pranks, but being the center of _this_ kind of attention was about a trillion times better decided Jack as Aster's tongue wrapped around his member. A bazillion times better!

“A—Aster”, gasped Jack, bucking his hips up into the warm cavern of Aster's mouth.

“Come for me”, murmured Bunny against Jack's hot flesh. “Show me that I can please you, Jackie. Show me that you want me as your mate, that I am who you want.”

The young buck moaned and jerked, his muscles spasm as he came hard. But it seemed the older guardian wasn't finished with him yet. While Jack rode his orgasm out, soft paws started to play with his entrance, messaging the tight ring of muscles. The Guardian of Fun would have given more reaction to it if he wouldn't have still been on quite the high. Before he could even realize what was going on, he found himself on his belly, his ass in the air and Bunny behind him.

“Relax, Jackie”, whispered the Easter Bunny softly.

Jack nodded, unsure what was about to come, taking a deep breath. Aster's paws were shaking nervously, he was painfully hard. It had been such an incredibly long time since he had last had a mate, especially such a beautiful and wanton one. He took a calming breath himself, taking position behind Jack. The white cottontail was raised in anticipation and Bunny licked his lips in want. The Australian was tender, taking his time as he entered the younger guardian. Even though the warm tightness made Aster want to just mindlessly thrust and take and claim. But this wasn't some meaningless rut in heat, this was supposed to mean something; everything. So Aster gritted his teeth and took it slow, enjoying the feeling thoroughly. Only when Jack started to move with him, did Aster pick up his pace. In a matter of minutes, they were rutting away like animals. The gray Pooka groaned as he thrust hard, nibbling Jack's neck while claiming his mate. Jack beneath him wasn't much better though, the Guardian of Fun was a moaning and begging mess already.

“Mine”, growled Aster as he felt himself coming hard.

The bed squealed beneath them as their movement grew more frantic. Jack gasped strangled, covering the sheets beneath him with his cum as he could feel his lover filling him. If the two of them wouldn't have been so overwhelmed, they would have probably taken notice of the bed crashing beneath them. Someone else however did notice.

“Jack! Aster! Are you alright? I heard crash—What is going on here?!”

The door was nearly ripped out of its angles as North burst into the room, followed by Sandy who already had his whips out. Two sabers were pointed at Bunny as North processed that they weren't under attack, but that the Easter Bunny had been busy ravishing his innocent, little foster son! The glint in his blue eyes was not one of wonder but one that promised some cut-off limbs.

“Bunnymund”, growled North threateningly.

Wide, forest-green eyes narrowed at the points of those sabers. Instinctively, he cradled his mate in his arms protectively at the threat. Growling slightly, he tapped the floor once and disappeared through the new tunnel within the blink of an eye, the hole closing before North could follow.

“Phil!”, thundered the Cossack. “Get me a snowglobe! I want a new coat, out of gray Pooka fur!”

“North”, chuckled Tooth softly as she fluttered closer. “Calm down.”

“Calm down?! Have you not seen-?!”, barked North enraged. “Have you not seen what that horny mammal has done to poor Jack?! He will pay! With his fur!”

“As much as I'm sure such a coat would suite you”, laughed the fairy amused. “I don't think you'll make Jack very happy if you skin Bunny alive.”

“What are you talking about?”, frowned North, slowly lowering his sabers.

“Jack had wished to become a Pooka, _for Aster_ ”, sighed Tooth, rolling her eyes in a manner that clearly said 'Do I have to spell everything for you?'. “They are _in love_ , Nick. Both of them, very much so. Let them be happy, don't be stupid. If you're being stupid, you and me will have a problem, am I understood, Nicholas St. North?!”

“In... love...?”, blinked North stunned, his sabers falling onto the floor. “B—But... is impossible... How could I not notice? Bunny and Jack? In love?” He whirled around to face the Sandman. “Sandy! Did you know about this too?”

The little yellow man grinned mischievously and shrugged before turning around to get back to his milk and cookies. Tooth chuckled, patting North's back and turned too, leaving the man alone with his thoughts and confusion.

 

/break\

 

“Ouch”, winced Jack as he landed not very gracefully in a big nest.

“Sorry, mate”, mumbled Aster, still looking a little panicked. “Had to get us out of there.”

“Are you... afraid? Of North?”, chuckled the white Pooka amused and got more comfortable.

“He had two sabers pointed at me. He would have cut ma bloody ears off before I even would have had a chance to reach for ma boomerangs”, glared the embarrassed Easter Bunny.

“My brave hero”, snorted the Guardian of Fun and leaned up to kiss him.

“Ah, rack off”, huffed Aster, smoothing his ruffled fur and sitting down next to Jack. “Ya don't need me to protect ya, yer pretty good at that yerself. Besides, North ain't gonna hurt ya.”

“I know”, grinned Jack and snuggled up to his lover. “So... More sex, or do I get a private tour through the warren? Or do I get a private tour through the warren and we have more sex wherever it suits us best? I'm totally in for third.”

“Eager much, Snowflake?”, chuckled Aster amused and raised an eyebrow.

“Mh, no... It's more...” Jack frowned and shrugged slightly. “I don't know, some urge. I want to do something, to see the warren and... fix it... I've seen some parts when I've been here last and it could use some cleaning and ordering. You living here alone, you probably pay more mind to your googies than you do to keeping this place clean and tidy.”

“I never took ya for a clean frea-”, started Aster with a laugh just to shut up suddenly.

“What?”, frowned Jack curiously and pocked his Easter Bunny. “What is it?”

“It's... uh... instincts...? Ya know, Pookas are very much like rabbits and the submissive takes care of the burrow, just like the does do. I guess when I took you... And now that yer ma mate...”

“What are you trying to say, Aster?”, sighed the confused buck.

“Yer thinking of ma burrow as yer home already, yer instincts tell ya to take care of it...”

“You... make it sound like this is a problem?”, mumbled Jack uncertain, his nose twitching. “I mean, if you don't want me here-”

“No!”, interrupted Aster and shook his head hastily. “I just thought it may go... too fast for ya...”

“I'm three hundred and twentythree years old and you are my first relationship. Believe me, I've been moving way too slow for way too long”, snorted the white-furred Pooka and rolled his eyes, grabbing both of Bunny's ears and pulling him close. “You're not getting rid of me again, mister.”

“I'm not?”, chuckled Aster with one raised eyebrow.

“Nope”, hummed Jack and sealed his lover's lips.

“Sounds good”, mumbled Bunny into their kiss, laying his arms around the smaller Pooka's waist to pull him closer. “How about we just rest for now and then I'll give ya the grand tour. There's a willow beneath which I'd love to take ya. And I want to see the sun paint on yer body in the colors of my river while I take ya at its shore.”

“Sounds like a good start”, murmured Jack and smirked mischievously. “We better get a full schedule, because I have a feeling we – or rather, you – should better hide from North for a while. Don't worry, I'll hide you and keep you... well entertained.”

“How generous, my hero in shining armor”, snorted Aster and kissed him. “I love ya, bugger.”

“Love you too, kangaroo”, giggled Jack pleased and stretched.

 

/break\

 

Tooth chuckled amused as she landed at the small garden she had visited only one day ago. The sight that greeted her was not all that surprising. The silver-haired spirit of Wishing Stars sat on her lover's lap, the two of them so busy making out, they wouldn't have noticed if the world would have fallen apart beneath them. The other three spirits were playing cards and by the look of it, Eve Hallows was winning. Which was kind of astonishing seeing as both Unity and Independence were using their eagles as spies. The white-headed one sat tall and proud behind Eve, staring into her cards and signaling the spirit of the US what cards the witch-clad spirit held, while the brown eagle of Germany sat behind Independence, spying on the blonde surfer girl.

“Girls”, chuckled Tooth amused and landed.

“Toothy!”, exclaimed Independence, Unity and Eve, lowering their cards.

“You've been up to no good, huh Hope?”, grunted the fairy with one raised eyebrow.

Valentine and Hope parted, both out of breath and flustered. Hope's blush deepened some more.

“What can I say? He wished for something I could fulfill, why shouldn't I?”, smiled the spirit of Wishing Stars with a wink. “Ever since Val and I got together, I feel obliged to help those who think they are hopelessly in love. Especially when they're in love with the guardian of Hope who loves him just as much. Don't tell me my plan packfired, Toothy!”

“If you wouldn't be so busy snogging, you would have seen that your plan worked”, spat Independence and rolled her eyes, adjusting a flat screen in front of the three gambling spirits, motioning for Hope and Tooth to take a look. “See? Two happy Pookas.”

Hope had an interested look on her face as she leaned in and Tooth too joined them, pulling another chair up to look at whatever it was Independence wanted to show them. She squealed high-pitched as she saw Bunny and Jack curled together on Bunny's nest, closely cuddled together.

“You have cameras in the warren?”, gasped Tooth and clasped one hand over her mouth.

“And in the workshop”, nodded America smugly.

“Y—You mean...?”, drawled the Tooth Fairy in utter disbelieve.

“We thoroughly enjoyed the show, yes”, purred Germany and sprawled herself all over her chair, leaning her head against Independence's shoulder. “Best idea our fifty states over there ever had.”

“Fifty states think better than sixteen”, teased Independence and ruffled Unity's hair.

“We're currently playing poker to bridge the time until the next session starts”, drawled Eve and shooed the noisy birds away. “But they're currently doing nothing but laying and cuddling... disgustingly domestic. I had hoped we'd get more porn out of this.”

“You are a perv”, exclaimed Hope scandalized.

Valentine coughed slightly and slipped away from beneath his girlfriend. “If you'd excuse me, I think I better take my leave. Pookas are territorial. If Aster learns that I've seen _anything_ about his mate, he'll tear me apart and I'd love to avoid this.”

The girls nodded absentmindedly, all five of them focused on the screen, where Bunny was quite busy groping Jack, who leaned into the touch. Tooth squealed delighted, everything was perfect.

 

_~*~ The End ~*~_


End file.
